Biscuit or like oven



C. DUMBLETCN BISCUIT OR LIKE OVEN Filed March 30, 1937 Nov. 7, 1939.

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BISCUIT OR LIKE OVEN Claude Dumbleton, Peterborough, England, as-

signor to Baker Perkins Company Inc., Saginaw,

Mich.

Application March 30,

1937, Serial No. 133,879

In Great Britain April 2, 1936 4 Claims.

This invention relates to biscuit and like ovens employing an endless steel band conveyor as the oven sole. It is known that any uneven baking of the biscuits is more liable to arise in connection 5 with the outer dough shapes positioned towards thev edges of the band than elsewhere.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means for insuring that the baking conditions adjacent the edges of the steel band shall be maintained uniform with those existing inward between the edges to avoid any substantial baking variation toward the said edges of the steel band. y

A further aim of the invention is to provide steel band screening means directed to the above purpose which may accommodate itself to irregularities in the rectilinear travel of the edges of the steel band. It will be appreciated if fixed screening means are employed, difficulty would be eX- perienced in positioning the means sufciently close to the edges of the band when taking into account the fact that the edges of a steel band rarely travel in a truly rectilinear path and an aim of the invention is t avoid or circumvent this diiculty.

The invention consists in providing a hood or balile means adapted to screen the edges of the oven band laterally and at the upper and/or lower sides thereof. The hood or bale means may comprise longitudinal asbestos members arranged in angle` or channel form.

The invention also consists in providing a hood or baille means comprising lateral and horizontal screening elements, the lateral elements of which are displaceable or flexibly mounted so that they f may be displaced or pushed outwardly by contact of the steel band edges therewith during any irregular tracking of the band.

The accompanying drawing illustrates in cross section a biscuit oven having an endless steel band conveyor the conveying lap 8 of which passes through the baking chamber I3 between upper and lower heating elements I4 and I5. For the purpose of showingdetails of the oven construction, the sections shown on opposite sides of the center line were taken at different spaces lengthwise of the oven,

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, in order to provide screening means of channel shape, a series of supporting hooks 5 made of strip metal are arranged along each side of the oven chamber and are xed to longitudinal angle irons 6 at the crown oi the oven. Each of these hooks which are secured at spaced intervals along the angle (Cl. 10T-57) irons, preferably comprises (as viewed in the cross sectional position in the oven) a horizontal part 5a, an adjoining downwardly depending and inwardly inclined section 5b having at its end an outwardly directed horizontal piece 5c and a portion 5d depending downwardly and at right angles to the horizontal piece, while the extremity of the hook member is bent up inwardly to form a right angled channel 5e.

j The channels 5e of these supporting hooks are adapted to receive a pack l of vertically arranged asbestos boards which are retained by suitable means, such as staples or split pins passing through the pack and through the back or vertical piece 5d of the hook member 5. This pack 'I constitutes a vertical screening member which is disposed laterally of the edges of the oven band Beneath the edges of the oven band similar packs il of asbestos boards are supported in a horizontal plane. The packs 9 are supported upon space stretcher bars or angles II the ends oi which are carried upon angle irons I2 arranged along the sides of the oven chamber.

The inward portions 9a of the horizontal packs of boar-ds 9 may be thicker than the outward portion, thereby providing a shoulder 9b against which the lower ends 5e of the hook members abut. This shoulder 9h is positioned in a vertical plane adjacent the edge Ba of the oven band to aiord the minimum clearance between the edge of the steel band and the face of the lateral screen l. The outer portion of thehorizontal pack of boards which is of less thickness, serves as a bed on which the edge of the vertical screen l or hook members 5c supporting such may slide outwardly.

An upper screen is provided in a horizontal plane over the top of the vertical screen 1 and this may be conveniently provided by locating a pack I0 consisting of two or more asbestos boards laid and secured on the intermediate horizontal portion 5c of the hook members 5.

The inclined section 5b oi' the hook members affords a certain amount of ilexibility so that should the edges of the steel oven band 8 in tracking contact with the face of the vertical or lateral screen 1, it will be displaced or pushed outwardly so as to allow the oven band free passage while ensuring that the screen is positioned at the minimum practical distance from the edge thereof. The vertical screen I may be arranged so that it returns to its inward position after displacement but practical experience has shown that this is not necessary. In some cases the lower horizontal screen 9 may be dispensed with, in which cases it may be necessary simply to provide stop members to limit the inward position of the vertical screen l when erecting the oven.

I claim:

1. In an oven having an endless band conveyor, means comprising upstanding baies extending along and arranged to screen the edges of the conveying lap of said band, the upstanding baffle means at each edge of the conveyor being independent of that at the other edge and yieldably mounted for lateral displacement in response to lateral tracking deviations of the conveyor.

2. In an oven having an endless band conveyor, means comprising upstanding baiiles extending along and arranged to screen the edges ci the conveying lap of said band, and horizontal screen elements extending along and under the edges of said conveyor contiguous to the lower edges of the upstanding bailles, the upstanding baffle means at each edge being independent of that at the other edge, and yieldably mounted for lateral displacement relatively to the contiguous horizontal screen element in response to lateral tracking variations of the conveyor.

3. Screening means for the lateral edges of an oven band conveyor as claimed in claim 1, Wherein spaced brackets support the upstanding bafiies, said brackets comprising each a lower portion for supporting the laterally displacealole baffle means and an upper portion anchored to a xed support in the oven chamber above said conveyor, each bracket being resilient to provide a exible, laterally displaceable mounting for said bafe.

4. Screening means for the lateral edges of an oven band conveyor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner portions oi the horizontal screening elements are of increased thickness to provide a longitudinal step or shoulder against which the upstanding baie means abut.

CLAUDE DUIWBLETON. 

